pgAdmin

ApplicationpgAdmin

Also called pgadmin 4, pgadmin4

pgAdminProductivity

The official PostgreSQL GUI. The Windows process is pgAdmin4.exe. The PostgreSQL installer can add it. It is not DBeaver.

What you need to know

pgAdmin is the official PostgreSQL GUI, not DBeaver.

pgAdmin4.exe is the official Postgres client. The Windows server installer can add it. DBeaver is a multi-engine GUI. MySQL Workbench is Oracle's MySQL client. postgres.exe is the server.

What is it?: Official PostgreSQL GUI
Same as DBeaver?: No. This one is Postgres-first
Is it the server?: No. postgres.exe is the server

Feex says

If pgAdmin4.exe cannot reach the server, I would check postgres.exe and pg_hba.conf. I would not uninstall DBeaver to fix that login. Official GUI and universal GUI are different apps.

What is pgAdmin?

pgAdmin is the official PostgreSQL administration GUI. It is not DBeaver, not MySQL Workbench, and not the postgres server process.

If you have never used it

If you need the official PostgreSQL GUI, that is pgAdmin 4. Download it from pgadmin.org/download or check the box in the PostgreSQL Windows installer. pgAdmin4.exe is the client. postgres.exe is the server. DBeaver can also talk to Postgres. It is a different universal GUI.

What is it used for?

Browse Postgres objects

Databases, schemas, and roles. Workbench will not show these as MySQL schemas.

Query tool

SQL against PostgreSQL. DBeaver has a query editor too. This one is the official client.

Comes with the EDB installer option

The PostgreSQL Windows installer can add pgAdmin. That checkbox is not DBeaver.

Who is it for?

People running PostgreSQL on Windows or a remote host
Students whose installer checked pgAdmin
Anyone who opened DBeaver and thought official pgAdmin was missing

Current status

pgAdmin (1996) is a current postgresql gui from pgAdmin. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.pgadmin.org/download/.

How old is it?

pgAdmin has existed since the late 1990s. pgAdmin 4 is the current web-tech desktop client. It is not pgAdmin III. A III screenshot in a textbook is the old line.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

pgAdmin 4

pgAdmin III (retired line)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per pgAdmin
RAM	The local web UI wants a modest heap. Huge result sets want more

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
pgAdmin4.exe	pgAdmin 4 window

Startup components

pgAdmin can start its helper when you open the app. That is not the PostgreSQL service.

File locations

Common pgAdmin locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\pgAdmin 4\

File formats

SQL

Common problems

First launch waits on a local web server

pgAdmin 4 hosts a local UI. That is expected. It is not SSMS and not a missing DBeaver driver.

Master password prompt

pgAdmin stores saved passwords behind a master password. That is this app, not the Postgres role password alone.

Getting unstuck

Install from pgadmin.org/download or the PostgreSQL installer

A pgAdmin pack on a freeware site is junk.

Confirm port 5432 and the Postgres service

Workbench on 3306 is MySQL. Wrong engine is a common mix-up.

Reset the master password only if you accept lost saved connections

pgAdmin documents that reset. DBeaver has a different credential store.

Alternatives

DBeaver for a multi-engine window. psql for a terminal. Azure Data Studio has a Postgres extension and is still not this official client.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.pgadmin.org/download/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.pgadmin.org/docs/ Vendor support
Official site	www.pgadmin.org/ Start here, not a random exe host
Windows download	www.pgadmin.org/download/pgadmin-4-windows/ Standalone pgAdmin 4 for Windows

Related hardware

The UI is heavier than old pgAdmin III because it is a local web app. The server still wants the RAM.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

pgAdmin official site · Vendor product page
pgAdmin help · Vendor support
pgAdmin documentation · Official pgAdmin 4 docs
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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